Is your conference or festival more than a day or two?  If so, it will be exhausting for you, your staff, and maybe even the attendees.  It is so important to think about self-care during these weeks. 

This week I was working with a week-long festival on a university campus.  It had all the components we expect: workshops, performances, networking, on-site housing and meals, people from around the nation and world, and – by Friday – a lot of tired people. 

Board members, staff, and committee members are working through the night to make sure each day runs smoothly, and issues have been addressed.  Attendees have overextended themselves trying to take advantage of all the activities.  Some attendees are going home early, others falling asleep during performances.  Meanwhile the staff is exhausted, their bodies ache, their heads are spinning with ideas to make the next festival better, and some may be feeling a bit underappreciated. 

How can we, as event planners and managers, make sure that our staff come out of the experience healthy, and with a positive outlook?  (And make sure we survive the experience as well.) 

Planning is a given for a festival, but we need to plan for the unexpected.  Setting up general policies and practices that are inherently flexible with make it easier to adjust as needed.  Making sure that communication plans and emergency plans are in place and have been shared with everyone will lower stress levels when something does happen. 

Rest seems impossible during the festival but set up schedules, and staff the event, so people can get the rest they need.  For example, are there flights coming in, or leaving, on a schedule that sends someone to the airport at 11:30 pm and 5 am?  Don’t send the same person or utilize a car service for one of the runs. 

Don’t forget, or neglect, to eat.  We get energy from the food we eat, and the few minutes to sit down for a sandwich can be just the thing needed to make it through the next few hours.  Making sure everyone including staff and volunteers is included in any meal plans is a good first step.  But remember that sometimes some people need to work over the planned meal breaks to ensure the after-dinner activity happens. Look for meal options for them. 

Hydrate. In a WebMD article about water and stress reduction, Gina Shaw state that dehydration causes stress and stress causes dehydration. The link between hydration and stress is well documented.  If your body isn’t hydrated it isn’t working as well as it should, and that is stressful all by itself.  Stay hydrated and encourage others to do the same.  Provide water bottles and a place to refill bottles throughout the day. (Remember if people are drinking water all day, you will need to have enough restrooms available. Nobody wants to miss a meeting, event, or work shift because they are waiting in the line for the restroom.)

Do you need to do everything?  No. Prioritize.  If you are the only one that can take care of something, like meeting with a donor, put that high on the list.  If it can be delegated, delegate.  Are the repercussions of something not being completed catastrophic? If not, don’t let it consume you. 

The goal is to put on the best event possible, but your health and well-being, and that of your employees, is more important.